WRI - Program Director, Institutions and Governance

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is seeking a Director to lead its Institutions and Governance Program (IGP). IGP works with networks of analysts and advocates around the world to empower people and support institutions to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable decision-making.

By partnering with governmental and non-governmental organizations in more than 50 countries, IGP’s current staff of 23 promotes greater transparency, inclusiveness, representativeness and accountability in decisions regarding natural resources and the environment. Its FY11 budget was USD 4.6 million. IGP’s current projects promote systemic improvements in access to information, public participation, and access to justice; improve governance in the electricity sector and in forest management in the context of low carbon development; strengthen the environmental and social standards and safeguards of international financial institutions, including those based in emerging economies; and promote the sound management and equitable distribution of benefits derived from natural resources, particularly in Africa.

The IGP Director will provide strategic and intellectual leadership to each of these initiatives by leading fundraising, program-level strategy development, and management. The Director will be expected to grow the size and influence of the Program by building upon existing projects and strategies and/or leading the development of new areas of governance work. The Director will also promote work on governance that cuts across and strengthens the effectiveness of WRI’s other programs on climate change and energy, people and ecosystems, markets and enterprise and sustainable cities; as well as WRI’s national level institute-wide strategies in emerging economies.

A successful candidate will be a recognized expert in environmental and natural resource governance, and will have a demonstrated track of high quality project design and implementation, policy research and publication, and of influencing policymaking at the national and/or international level. He or she will have excellent skills and experience in strategic leadership, management, fundraising, and communication.

The position is located at WRI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. and reports to the Managing Director.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Work with IGP’s objective and project directors to provide guidance and strategic direction to IGP’s research and influence strategies, to ensure projects and activities meet strategic objectives and complete activities, milestones and outcomes;
• Ensure IGP projects contribute to achieving WRI’s Governance Goal;
• Provide overall quality-control on IGP work, products and outputs; and
• Provide leadership in project planning, influence strategies, fundraising.

Impact and Outreach

• Develop influence strategies for improving environmental governance.
• Focus on critical issues where new insights, analyses, proposals or efforts to build coalitions could lead to significant progress on environmental governance issues.
• Lead the Program’s outreach and communication efforts and promote the Program’s research findings through briefings to policy makers and government leaders, involvement in international meetings, and other initiatives with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Management

• Work collegially with other Program Directors and objective directors to promote WRI’s institute-wide goal of improving environmental governance.
• Manage the IGP team on a day-to-day basis, motivate staff, support staff with ongoing projects, and identify and manage conflicts where they arise.
• Ensure that IGP outputs meet or exceed WRI standards for exceptional, innovative, peer reviewed research.
• Oversee IGP’s annual budget and financial health.
• Contribute to WRI’s overall management through participation in WRI’s Management Team.

Fundraising

• Actively lead IGP fundraising efforts at both the project and the Program level with support from other team members and WRI’s Development Department. In particular, leverage and maintain any existing relationships with foundations, government and individual donors, as well as cultivate new relationships.
• Work with Program staff to enhance their fundraising skills, help them manage existing fundraising relationships and cultivate new funding prospects.
• Represent the Program’s interests and needs in discussions about institutional funding.

Qualifications:

• Leading expert in a relevant field of governance such as natural resource management, human rights, anti-corruption, or electoral democracy, with a strong commitment to environment and development issues.
• A minimum of 10 years management and team-building work experience.
• Desire and track record of working in a collegial fashion as part of a team with little hierarchy, along with ability to motivate staff.
• Results orientation and strong strategic planning skills.
• Experience working with partners across multiple geographical and cultural contexts.
• Established network of professional contacts with government, bilateral and multi-lateral agencies, foundations or individual donors.
• Proven ability to secure funding on a large scale, as well as extensive experience with project development and proposal writing.
• Excellent analytical skills and strategic vision.
• Outstanding ability to communicate clearly and compellingly to a wide range of audiences both verbally and in writing.
• Work experience in developing country contexts.
• An advanced degree in relevant field.
• Fluency in a second language highly desirable.

A compelling cover letter is required for this position along with your CV. Please include salary requirements in your cover letter.

WRI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is WRI's policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability. WRI will sponsor H-1B work Visa for this position.

• Full Job Description

Salary and Benefits: Competitive compensation will be offered commensurate with qualifications

To be considered you must apply online at www.wri.org/careers.